vine

1 of 2

noun

ˈvīn

: a plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground

also : the stem of such a plant

: any of various sprawling herbaceous plants (such as a tomato or potato) that lack specialized adaptations for climbing

: grape sense 2

vine

2 of 2

verb

vined; vining

intransitive verb

: to form or grow in the manner of a vine

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Tunisia was the first blossom of the 2011 Arab Spring — and the only bloom to have not sadly withered on the vine as pro-democracy uprisings gave way to civil wars and brutal autocratic counterrevolutions around the region. —

Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023 The semi truck eventually emerged (three years late), while the transit options died on the vine. —

Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2023 But over the last six years, Sony has largely let its first console VR experiment wither on the vine, allowing competitors to advance the state of the art with frequent hardware and software updates. —

Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 16 Feb. 2023 The vine was only a few months away from reaching the top and winding along the wires like a Christmas garland. —

Sonya Bennett-brandt, WIRED, 22 Dec. 2022 This climbing vine also features red berries in the fall. —

Viveka Neveln, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Oct. 2022 The vine that can reach 10 feet long, so this is one for big gardens! —

Arricca Sansone, Country Living, 9 Sep. 2022 There is no nicer way to pass a summer evening than nursing a bottle of Crémant on its vine-covered terrace. —

Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 1 Aug. 2022 This gorgeous cascading vine plant grows quickly and fully with lush and glossy leaves and a hearty stem. —

Kaitlyn Mcinnis, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Jan. 2023

Verb

Gardeners can also use hanging baskets of strawberries, where the fruit will vine downward and make harvesting easier. —

oregonlive, 17 June 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vine.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French vigne, from Latin vinea vine, vineyard, from feminine of vineus of wine, from vinum wine — more at wine

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of vine was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Vine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vine. Accessed 24 Mar. 2023.

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Kids Definition

vine

1 of 2 noun

ˈvīn

: grape sense 2

: a plant whose stem requires support and which climbs by tendrils or twining or creeps along the ground

also : the stem of a vine

: any of various plants (as a tomato) that resemble vines but lack a special means for climbing

vine

2 of 2 verb

vined; vining

: to form or grow in the manner of a vine

Etymology

Noun

Middle English vine "grape, a climbing plant," from early French vigne (same meaning), from Latin vinea "vine, vineyard," derived from vinum "wine" — related to vinegar, vintage